Same-sex marriage will be permitted in Thailand starting in January 2025, according to Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who signed the law on Tuesday, making Thailand the first country in South-East Asia to do so.
The Thai parliament’s upper and lower houses both enacted the legislation with overwhelming majorities months ago.
The king has signed the measure, which will go into effect in 120 days.
While Thailand is the first country in South-East Asia to allow for same-sex marriage, it is the third in all of Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal.
The new legislation provides for the words “men” and “women” and “husband” and “wife” to be replaced in the civil code by neutral words like “persons” and “spouse,” ensuring that same-sex married couples will have the same legal, financial and medical rights as heterosexual married couples.
Thailand previously enacted a civil partnership statute that did not grant full legal marriage privileges.
The country has always been seen as liberal and welcoming to homosexuals and transsexual individuals. It is also a favorite vacation spot for people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, as well as the larger queer community.
